End-gate.



JOSEPH FISHER, OF BRUNSWICK, NEBRASKA.

END-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application led July 28, 1907. Serial No. 385,171.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. FISHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brunswick, in the county of Antelope and State of Nebraska,have invented a certain new and useful End-Gate Fastener, of which the-following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an end gate fastener of simple,durable and inexjensive construction which may be quic y and easilyattached to a wagon, and also quickly and easily placed in a lockedposition from which it cannot be moved by the ordinary shaking andjarring to which end gates are ordinarily subjected.

Afurther object is to provide means whereby the end gate may be quicklyand easily removed from a wagon.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationofthe various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplatedareattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claimsand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows arear elevation of an end gate embodying my invention, attached to awagon and in its locked position. Fig. 2 shows a detail view of thenotched locking late. Fig. 3 shows a rear view of the slide olt. Fig. 4shows an enlarged sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5shows an enlarged sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the referencenumeral 10 to indicate that part of the wagon shown, and 11 indicatesthe body ofthe end gate. Both the wagon and end gate are of the ordinaryconstruction now in general use. My improved fastening device comprisesa locking plate 12 having openings 13 therein to receive bolts or screwsfo'r fastening it to the central portion of the rear of the end gatenear the top thereof. In the center of the plate 12 is an opening 14 toreceive a pivot pin, and at the bottom of the plate is a notch 15 toreceive a slide bolt hereinafter described. Mounted on the rear of theplate 12 is a circular plate 16 pivotally connected with the plate 12 bythe pivot pin 17 passed through the opening 14. Formed on the plate 16is a downwardly projecting lever 18 having at its lower end a rearwardlyprojecting handle 19. This lever is provided with a longitudinal slot 20in which is mounted an extensible coil spring 21, and near the bottom ofthe lever is a slot 22. Mounted in the rear of the lever 18 is a slidebolt 23 slidingly connected with the lever near its upper end by meansof a rivet 24 passed through the slot 20, and through the slide bolt 23,and provided with a reduced portion 25, where it passes through the bolt23, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. This bolt engages the up er end of thespring 21, the lower end thereo resting upon the lever 18 at the bottomof the slot 20 to normally hold the bolt 23 with its upper end in thenotch 15. The bolt and leverare slidingly connected at their lower endsby means of the handle 26 that asses through the slot 22 and is attachedto t Ie slide bolt 23. Pivotally connected to one side of the plate 16is 'a curved arm 27, extending downwardly and then to the left, and thenupwardly, and provided with a socket 28 in which a rod 29 is mounted,which rod is formed with a hook 30 on its end. Another curved arm isindicated by the numeral 31, and is ivoted to the side of the plate 16opposite rom the pivot pointof the arm 27, and extends upwardly and thento the rightand then downwardly, and has a socket 32 thereon to receivethe rod 33. This rod is rovided with a hook 34 on its end. Each o therods 29 and 33 is extended through a bracket 35 attached to the rear ofthe endgate, and

each of the hooks 30 and 34 is designed to en.

ter an eye bolt 36 secured to the wagon.

In practical use, and assuming that it is desired to apply my improvedend gate fastener to an ordinary wagon, and end gate, I place the eyebolt 36 in a wagon in the position shown, and then attach the late 12and the plate 16 to the rear of the en gate. Assuming the parts to be inthe position shown in Fig. 1, it 1s obvious that the hooks will engagethe eye bolt in such a manner as to firmly and securely hold the endgate in its position. The lever 18 is locked in its downwardly extendingposition by means of the bolt 23 in the notch 15 so that no amount ofrattling or shaking to which an end gate is subjected will cause it tobecome loosened from its fastenings. However, if it is desired to removethe end gate, it is it only necessary forthe operator to grasp thehandles 19 and 26 in one hand, and move the handle 26 downwardlyfarenough to bring the slide bolt 23out of-.the notch 15, whereupon thelever 18 may be moved to the left, and the hooks 30 and 84 released fromthe eye bolts 36.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, therefor, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a notchedplate designed to be secured to an end gate, a plate pivotally connectedwith the notched plate and having a downwardly projecting lever thereon,a spring actuated slide bolt carried by said lever and designed toautomatically enter the notch in the notched plate when the lever is atits downward limit, a handle connected with the slide bolt for releasingit from the notched plate, two curved arms pivoted to the plate andextended across it in opposite directions, hooks at the outer ends or'said arms designed to engage the sides of a wagon, and brackets forsupporting the outer ends of said arms.

2. In an end gate fastener, the combination of eye bolts designed to besecured to a wagon, a notched plate designed to he secured to an endgate, a circular plate lpivotally connected with the notched plate andhaving a downwardly projecting lever thereon, a handle at the lower endof said lever extending rearwardly, two curved arms pivoted to thecircular plate and extended across the plate in opposite directions, andhaving hools at their outer ends designed to enter said eye bolts,brackets for supporting said arms, aslide bolt connected with the lever,a handle on the lower end ol the slide holt adjacent tothe handle ol thelever, and. designed to be grasped by the operators hand, together withthe handle on the lever, and a spring for normally holding the slidebolt with its upper end in the notch on the notched plate.

Des Moines, Iowa, July 10, 1907.

JOSEPH Il". Fl SIIE'H.

Witnesses CHAs. F. HANsoN, T. E. NAGEL.

Al U

